Serbia’s
Novak Djokovic has revealed that he is under immense
pressure whenever he walks to the Centre Court after reaching yet another
Wimbledon
semifinal.
The 36-year-old defeated the world number seven Russia’s Andrey
Rublev in the last-eight contest with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday.
Talking after the match, the current world number two expressed
his satisfaction that he is still good enough not to let his opponents get
the better of him.
“I know they want to get a scalp, they want to win, but it
ain't happening still. Very humble," he said. "Any tennis player
wants to be in a position when anybody wants to win against you on the court. It
is a privilege, as Billie Jean King said. Pressure is part of what we do, is
part of our sport.
“It's never going to go away regardless of how many Grand Slams
you win or how many matches you won or how many years you played professionally
on the tour. The pressure is paramount. Every single time I come out on the
court particularly here, the Centre Court of Wimbledon, but at the same time it
awakens the most beautiful emotions in me, and it motivates me beyond what I've
ever dreamt of, and it inspires me to play my best tennis.”
Djokovic is now just two wins away from winning his record 24th Grand Slam title and equaling the former world number one Switzerland’s
Roger Federer’s record of winning eight Wimbledon titles in his career.
The Belgrade-born is now on a 33-match winning streak in the
competition, having won four back-to-back titles in London since the 2018
edition and therefore, he will be extremely confident going into the next encounter.
He will now face world number eight Italy’s Jannik Sinner in
the semifinal of the competition on Friday.